Botox® Injections

Botox® to Treat Wrinkles

The onset of forehead wrinkles, crow’s feet and frown lines is a common problem for men and women as they age. Though these lines and wrinkles are just reminders of your maturity and wisdom, they can also make you appear tired and even angry.

At Signature Dental, one way we treat these problem areas is with Botox® Cosmetic, which is a quick and virtually painless treatment that can help you to look rested and rejuvenated, as if you’ve just returned from a much needed vacation. This wrinkle treatment is ideal for both men and women, and is available at Signature Dental. Continue reading below to learn more about Botox® injections, and how the treatment can improve your look!

What is Botox®?

Botox is a form of Botulinum toxin that has been purified and diluted to be safe for cosmetic use. Botulinum toxin is a muscle relaxant, and when administered in the form of Botox®, can significantly ease the appearance of some wrinkles.

Although Botox® is a toxin, it is FDA-approved for frown line treatment, it is not believed to have caused serious side effects, and the treatment does not carry the same risks of infection that may be present with facelift surgery.

How Botox® Works?

When Botox® is injected into facial muscles, the toxin temporarily blocks neuron activity, which prevents full muscle contraction. Because the muscles can no longer contract, the appearance of wrinkles caused by facial movements like frowning, raising the eyebrows, or squinting is significantly reduced.

Botox® injections are an ideal solution for smoothing the skin between eyebrows, eliminating lines on the forehead, and reducing the appearance of crow’s feet around the eyes.

What Botox® Treats

We inject a small amount of Botox® into the muscles that create the wrinkles. This Botulinum derivative blocks the nerve impulses from reaching that area of the muscle and the contractions begin to weaken. As the muscle weakens, the Botox®-treated areas begin to relax and the wrinkles in the skin become less visible and often disappear altogether.

Botox® injections can be used to treat several types of wrinkles, including crow’s feet and frown lines.

What are the Advantages of Botox®?

Fast and effective. A typical treatment will show results after 4-7 days, and takes only 10-15 minutes to complete.

Little discomfort – we take great care in administering these injections

There is no “down-time.” After the Botox® injections, you may resume normal activity or go back to work

Creates natural-looking results without evidence that you’ve had work done

There is no decrease in sensation or numbness of Botox® treated areas

The effects of Botox® injections are reversible; lasting 3 to 9 months

Repeated injections for one year in 3 month intervals may cause a muscle memory response to develop, thus enhancing Botox® effects. Although such effects will not be permanent, a regular treatment schedule may increase the effectiveness of injections!

Botox® is a nonsurgical approach to treat wrinkles, which eliminates the need for anesthesia and long recovery times

Who is the Best Candidate for Botox®?

A wide range of patients benefit from Botox® therapy. Typically, we treat patients from their 20′s to 80′s. Younger patients and those with fewer wrinkles are good candidates for this procedure because though their wrinkles may not be yet pronounced, Signature Dental providers can administer Botox® as a preventative measure to minimize the creasing of the skin.

Patients who’ve had laser resurfacing or a face lift also benefit from these injections because their fresh, newly resurfaced skin is prevented from repeated wrinkling.

Do Botox® Injections Hurt?

At Signature Dental, we take great care to make Botox® injections painless for our patients. We apply a topical anesthetic cream and/or ice compresses for several minutes prior to the treatment to numb the area. When the injection begins, you may feel a slight stinging sensation, but it will quickly subside. Once the Botox® injection is complete, the nurse will apply an ice compress to address any initial discomfort.

Are Botox® Injections Safe?

Botox® has an excellent safety profile. It has been used by neurologists and ophthalmologists for nearly two decades to correct facial tics and to relax the eye muscles responsible for the condition known as lazy eye. These types of procedures require several times more Botox® than what Signature Dental uses to treat facial wrinkles, and have not resulted in any toxic effects to patients.

However, if you are pregnant or have a neurological disease should not be treated with Botox® Cosmetic injections.

Why a Dentist?

Dentists focus the majority of their time on the mouth, face, head and neck and are often faced with patients who suffer from jaw pain, headaches and migraines; as well as those who want to enhance their smiles. Administering neuromodulators such as BOTOX® are a natural adjunctive service for Dentists to provide to their patients. Dentists also have extensive experience giving injections and are very aware of how to keep injections as pain free and comfortable as possible. Dr. Scearce has been extensively trained in both the therapeutic and cosmetic uses of Botox.